1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a system for moistening envelope flaps in automatic mail handling installations.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Known moistening systems essentially comprise a moistening member fed directly or indirectly from a reservoir of water which in some cases carries it and against which rub the flaps of successive envelopes fed along a path.
The moistening member must be fed with a sufficient but not excessive amount of water to enable it to transfer water cleanly to the flap rubbing against it. The means for feeding it from the reservoir and the reservoir itself must be designed to prevent any splashing as a result of vibration of the installation or during mounting it on or demounting it from the installation.
Known moistening systems designed to meet these requirements and of greater or lesser complexity have the water reservoir mounted at a distance from the moistening member and consequently from the path followed by the envelopes and their flaps.
The document FR-A-2 195 532 describes one embodiment of a device of this kind for moistening and folding envelope flaps. For the moistening function the device includes a water reservoir, a wick support arm inclined slantwise from the top of the reservoir and a wick with one end in the reservoir and the other end mounted on a wick holder and passing through the wick support arm. The wick support arm has an elongate marginal portion which exposes an elongate portion of the wick through an elongate open portion of the wick holder. The wick holder is J-shape in cross-section with projections which pierce the wick to hold it in place and is adapted to be placed in the wick support arm. This moistening system is disposed below a platform with the exposed portion of the wick substantially under one edge of the platform. An associated deflector at the upstream end engages the envelope flap projecting freely from the edge of the platform over which the body of the envelope is fed, and guides it below the lower edge of the wick support arm. A complex folding system then folds the flap, pushing its gummed region firmly against the wick.
An object of the present invention is to provide a moistening system of significantly simplified design and operation which additionally has compact overall dimensions within the mail handing installation, involves no difficulties of mounting in or demounting from the installation and avoids the possibility of splashing.